Toxic Love

Darleen R. Golke is a high-school teacher-librarian in Winnipeg,
Manitoba.

Toxic Love was originally published in 1995 under the title Saying
Good-Bye. The 10 stories present coming-of-age moments with clarity and
compassion, and deal effectively with issues of alienation, loneliness,
love, physical and sexual abuse, date rape, death, and ethnic/cultural
conflicts.

Holeman successfully captures the quintessence of adolescence. Her
stories resonate with recognizable minutiae of daily experiences, from
“[the] unspoken pact between the less-than-popular girls that never
lets one of [them] feel too alone,” to the exotic newcomer on the
locker-room hit list, to “[the] teachers … who tried too hard to act
the same age as their students,” to “the rush … in your head and
body when you connect with someone.”

The first- and third-person narratives, rich in detail, imagery,
realistic dialogue, and thought-provoking scenarios, resonate with
familiar particulars and “oh yeah” moments. Drawn into the world of
the protagonists, we share their dilemmas, cheer them on, and accept
their decisions, some of which are painful and unexpected.

A good choice for book talks, Toxic Love should be part of every junior
and senior high-school library. Highly recommended.